Undergraduate Bulletin

Academic Major

All students are required to declare and complete the requirements of an academic major prior to receiving a degree.

Students are awarded a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), A Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), or a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree. Each academic major description states which degree is awarded. Students wishing to explore possible majors should review in this Bulletin the requirements and descriptions of the ones they are considering, then discuss their academic plans with an advisor in the department sponsoring the major, an advisor in the Academic and Transfer Advising Services Center, or, for freshmen, their Undergraduate College Advisor. Students planning to pursue a major in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) should consult with an advisor in the CEAS Undergraduate Student Office.

All majors offered include in their Bulletin entry a definition of the discipline and the goal of the major, as well as general information about careers pursued by students who have completed the major. The entry includes a list detailing the requirements for the major plus a suggested sequence of courses over eight semesters that includes major, the general education requirement, and electives.

Major departmental programs consist of study concentrated in one of the academic departments of the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, the School of Journalism, or Southampton Arts Programs, allowing students to explore in some depth the content, methods, and achievements of a given academic discipline. An interdisciplinary or interdepartmental major enables the student to investigate an area of interest that transcends the limits of individual academic departments by combining appropriate courses from two or more disciplines to create an integrated core of study directed toward a special goal. All majors, minors, and programs offered through the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Engineer­ing and Applied Sciences, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Journalism, and Southampton Arts Programs, are described in detail with their requirements and appear in alphabetical order in the section Approved Majors, Minors, and Programs. The department chairperson, the undergraduate director, the administrative assistant or undergraduate secretary, the office location, phone number, e-mail address for student questions, and Web address are listed in the header to each major program entry. Finally, because Stony Brook offers many minors appropriate to students in various majors, minors of particular interest to students in each major are listed as well.

Students should declare a major, or area of interest, as soon as possible to receive academic advising and information provided by major departments and programs. Note that a first major may not be dropped without declaring a new major. 

Most forms of financial aid also require that the student have an officially declared major in order to be considered for eligibility.

Declaration and Change of Major for College of Arts and Sciences, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences,  School of Journalism, and Southampton Arts Programs

The Major/Minor Declaration Form, available in the Registrar’s Office and online at http://www.stonybrook.edu/registrar , is used to declare a major officially. The signature of a departmental advisor is required for all majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Journalism, and Southampton Arts Programs.

Students are required to declare a major upon earning 45 credits. New transfer students who matriculate as sophomores, juniors, or seniors must declare a major during their first semester at Stony Brook.

Academic departments advise students about the courses and major(s) in their departments and sign students into the majors. The signed Major/Minor Declaration Form must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office for processing.

New transfer students who have indi­cated a major on their application for admission should confirm their major status in person with their chosen department or program early in their first semester at Stony Brook.

Students who have declared a specific major may change at any time before graduation. Students should discuss the change with an advisor in the desired program, obtain the appropriate signature on the Declaration of Major form, and submit the form to the Registrar’s Office for processing.

Declaration and Change of Major for College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, College of Business

All programs in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the College of Business currently limit the number of students accepted. While acceptance criteria are based mainly on demonstrated scholastic ability, extraordinary personal circumstances, experiences, and academic background may also be considered in the evaluation process.

Qualified freshman and transfer applicants who have specified their interest in Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Molecular Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineer­ing, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Science, Infor­mation Systems, Mechanical Engineering, or Technological Systems Management may be accepted directly into one of these majors upon admission to the University. Admission to the University, however, does not guarantee either immediate or future acceptance into the major for which the student applied.

Requirements for acceptance of continuing students into a major are listed with each major. Transfer students are urged to contact the appropriate undergraduate program director as early as possible.

Students who are planning on a major in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences should consult the Undergraduate Student Office in CEAS for advising on appropriate course selection. Students who pursue the business management major should contact the Office of Student Services in the College of Business for advisement.

Health Sciences Majors

Most majors in the Health Sciences undergraduate programs in the School of Nursing, School of Social Welfare, and School of Health Professions are limited-admission, junior/senior level programs. Continuing and transfer students who wish to enter one of these programs must formally apply for admission after completing the appropriate course and credit requirements.

The School of Health Professions offers four programs that students can declare as a major beginning in freshman year: clinical laboratory sciences, respiratory care, and health science. Students in these programs are advanced to the upper-division level after successful completion of program prerequisites.

Students interested in any of the undergraduate health professions are strongly encouraged to identify themselves by officially declaring an area of interest. Detailed information about the Health Sciences programs is listed in the Health Sciences Schools section of this Bulletin.